Mr. Gorbachev's plan is also vague about the economic powers of republics and local governments, while Mr. Yeltsin insists that the republics dominate economic decision-making and decide what powers to delegate up to the Kremlin.

There is some evidence from studies of families in which both wife and husband have careers that even in these situations the husband dominates decision-making, partly because his job comes to be seen as more important.

The Edo Bakufu had dominated political decision-making for 250 years.

And that advice frequently challenges the views of many of the special interests that dominate decision-making in Washington.

But the United States, Britain and France have dominated Security Council planning and decision-making regarding Iraq.

Russia continues to dominate political decision-making throughout the former SSRs; although, as other countries move into the area, Russia's influence has begun to wane.

Russia continues to dominate political decision-making throughout the Caucasus, Central Asia, and former SSRs in general.

Gerald O'Driscoll, director of the center for international trade and economics at the Heritage Foundation, the conservative research organization, said: "Sometimes politics dominates good economic decision-making in the best of administrations.

David N. Dinkins, the Manhattan Borough President, said the plan meant that "the singular powers of the mayor and the majority leader of the Council have the potential to totally dominate governmental decision-making."

The French, with the British, have thus been able to dominate decision-making on the Balkans in the Security Council, a role they may be loath to relinquish by withdrawing.